Lockheed Martin and the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense formally celebrated the arrival of the first F-16 Block 70 in Bulgaria on Sunday, commemorating the start of F-16 operations in the country. The F-16 Block 70 fighters will enable Bulgaria to ensure the protection of its airspace and strengthen European security cooperation between allies.
Bulgaria has ordered a total of 16 F-16 fighter jets. The first eight will be delivered by the end of 2025.
F-16 Block 70 jets are equipped with the Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA radar, advanced avionics, an extended 12.000-hour structural service life, and critical safety features such as the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS). Since its integration into the U.S. Air Force in late 2014, Auto GCAS has been instrumental in saving 13 pilots in 12 F-16 incidents, exemplifying the aircraft’s unmatched standards of safety and performance.
Bulgaria’s new F-16s a global network of more than 700 F-16s currently in operation in Europe and more than 3.100 in operation around the world. Lockheed Martin has a backlog of 114 F-16 Block 70/72 jets to be produced in Greenville, South Carolina, with 26 jets delivered to date to international partners.
